Running Out of Time
by DixieH
Summary: The thought of what's ahead is a little daunting for everyone - even Eames and Goren.


_**LOCI …its characters, settings and plots belong to Dick Wolf. No copyright infringement intended or implied.**_

**_Here's a little cup of angst to go with your morning coffee. The thought of what's ahead is a little daunting for everyone - even_ _Eames and_ _Goren. - Dix._**

**Running Out of Time**

She couldn't help it. With every piece of paper, she moved from her desktop to a file, her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. She didn't have to turn her head or shift in the chair. She just lifted her head slightly and rolled her eyes a little to the right and there it was. And every time she looked, it was a little bit later. Time was steadily dragging her through the final hours of her final shift at Major Case. And each new minute broke her heart again, because she was running out of time.

She was running out of time to say what she had left to say to him. The future was coming hard on the heels of everything they'd been through: the cases, the collars, the witnesses, the perps, the interviews and the interrogations, the testimony and the revelations. His future would hold all of these things. Her future would hold none of these things and unless she said something soon, it might hold none of him. Before it all went away, she had something to say. So every few moments she would glance at the clock and hope that before time ran out she'd have the courage to say what was on the tip of her tongue.

He kept his head down. He'd read the same page in the same file maybe 20 or 30 times. Each time he'd find his eyes on the last line in the last paragraph and know that he had no clue - no clue what he was reading or why. All he could think of - all he could focus on - was her - Eames - across the desk in her place. He'd had been without her before. She'd taken vacations, sick days, and maternity leave. Except for the hours Jo Gage had held her, she'd always been within his grasp. He knew she would return and fill the chair and the hole in his life. She finished his thoughts and his sentences and he couldn't imagine that a future might exist without her in it. But now it was beginning to be apparent that his future might not include her presence. He can't grasp the possibility that he can work or function or breathe without her by his side.

Finally, when she could not stand it any more she rolled her chair away from the desk. She looked down at him and he finally looked up at her "I've got to get out of here." She said. She pulled the jacket off the chair back and flung it around her shoulders. She crossed the floor with long strides. She was standing at the elevator when he caught up to her. They stood together in silence at the elevator door. When it finally opened, they found their places in the crowd. They stood together and sailed down - down - down to the main floor. On the street, they kept pace. She wasn't talking. He wasn't talking. They just walked block after block in the warm spring sunlight.

Finally, he said, "It's all platitudes" and she looked at him. "Platitudes and clichés," he said. They stopped then and turned to face each other so that pedestrians flowed around them like lava around a tree. "It's been great working with you," he said. It was an example and the truth. She grinned at him not knowing what to say. "You've been a great partner." He followed up.

"Right back at you," she said. He smiled.

Then she said, "We'll stay in touch." He nodded.

"We'll meet for coffee," he said, "And ."

"And," she stumbled on "And we can talk." She said. He nodded.

He turned to walk again but she reached for his sleeve. It was emotion and boldness born of the fear of regret that drove her to it.

There were tears welling in her eyes, when he turned again to face her. If we don't." She said. "If we don't stay in touch." She tried again.

He nodded. "We will." He said and hoped it was the truth and rocked a little on his heels and looked past her.

"I care about you." She finally said. It wasn't what she planned, but in the moment it was all she could manage.

He met her gaze and gave her a warm smile and a nod. "We'll stay in touch." He said. She shook off the emotion and they walked another block in silence, then turned and headed back to 1PP, the elevator, and the eleventh floor. Again, they were together across the expanse of desk from one another: Him not concentrating on the file open in front of him and her watching the clock.

**- fin -**

_**Thanks for reading this. I found it in my files this morning. So instead of working on the longer half finished stories decided to post this! - Dix.**_


End file.
